


Collision

by klutzy_girl



Series: Time After Time [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Future Fic, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 09:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/696564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klutzy_girl/pseuds/klutzy_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and August are left injured after a car accident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collision

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Once Upon A Time and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

August and Emma had just dropped off their kids at school and were headed to the station when something happened that changed their lives forever. One minute they were laughing about something that had happened the night before, the next, they heard a crunch from behind as a car plowed into them. It shot the car (and August) forward and both barely had time to react before another car – heading straight for them – hit them head on. He had tried to stop on time, but by the time he saw August and Emma, it was too late. The other driver died almost instantly, while the person in the car behind them only broke her arm.

August and Emma were not lucky at all. He was bleeding, his wrist had snapped and was hurting, and his chest also hurt. He looked over to his girlfriend to see if she was okay. He coughed as he started to talk. “Em… Emma? Wake up.” He leaned over as best as he could with his numerous injuries and lightly shook her.

She came to with a groan and went to answer, but blood dribbled out of her mouth. August stared at her in horror. “August?” 

“Shh, don’t talk. You’re hurt. Actually, both of us, but I’m sure the ambulance is on its way.” He wondered how the other drivers were doing, if they were okay.

“Hurts,” Emma murmured. She started to cry as the pain began to overwhelm her. Everything hurt and she couldn’t think past that.

“I know it does.” He wanted to do something to comfort her, but his wrist had started to swell. He found he couldn’t do much of anything and sighed in relief when the wail of an ambulance reached them, along with the police force – which included Emma’s father.

James wanted to throw up when he saw the accident scene. Emma and August’s car was totaled and the others didn’t look much better. “Has anyone talked to them yet? Are there any injuries? When they shook their heads, he sighed and went over. The ambulance crew was putting one of the drivers in a body bag and he felt guilty for being happy it wasn’t his daughter or her boyfriend. It didn’t last long when he discovered, however, that they were both covered in blood.

The window was broken and August was grateful he didn’t have to attempt rolling it down. “Emma needs help. Hurry up!”

James eyed them both in panic. “You’re hurt, too, but we’re going to get out, okay? Don’t worry.”

Emma coughed and more blood spilled out of her mouth. “Kids…”

“They’ll be fine, sweetheart. Your mom will take care of them.” James loved his grandchildren, but he was more worried about August and Emma at the moment.

The firefighters, who had arrived just a few seconds earlier, began to get to work. They needed the Jaws of Life to get Emma and August out since the doors wouldn’t open. “Well, guess we’re going to have to get a new car.” He had liked it too.

James laughed despite himself. “I would say so.” He wanted to grip August’s shoulder to comfort him, but was worried he’d just injure the man more. He wasn’t about to risk it.   
Emma’s eyes slowly started to close. “Love you,” she murmured to her boyfriend before she slipped into unconsciousness.

After they were freed from the car, the EMTs worked diligently to get August and Emma into ambulances. It was clear that both needed immediate medical attention. Only a few seconds after Emma was loaded in, she started to flatline. One of the EMTs began to perform CPR in an attempt to bring her back. A few tense minutes later, the CPR worked.

Luckily, it wasn’t too far to the hospital, and both were immediately sent to trauma rooms. Storybrooke didn’t have many accidents like this, but they were prepared for them.

James reluctantly had to stay back at the accident scene and get witness statements. He wanted nothing more to be by his daughter’s side, but his job was more important at that moment. He also still had to call his wife and tell her what happened before she found out some other way. Plus, Henry needed to be notified and someone needed to take care of Emma and August’s kids, and his and Snow’s.

Snow gasped and clutched her chest when James showed up to inform her of what had occurred. He figured that calling her hadn’t been the right away to go about this, and he was correct. “Oh God. Are they going to be okay?”

He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. It looked bad and they were both hurt.” He had a feeling this day was going to haunt his nightmares for a long time. 

“Alright, we need to go. The principal can just get a sub.” There weren’t that many options for subs in this town, but Snow wasn’t about to just stay here while her daughter was injured. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway.

“And what about the kids? We need a baby-sitter.” 

“I’ll call Jefferson and see if Grace can do it.” She was sure that she wouldn’t mind doing it, as she had baby-sat before. 

With everything taken care of in less than ten minutes – Grace was going to pick up all of the kids and Henry was on his way home – Snow and James made their way to the hospital to see how August and Emma were doing.

A nurse answered any question she could. “Sheriff Swan is currently in surgery to fix some internal bleeding, while Mister Booth is getting his wrist set. His injuries are minor – Just some bruising, the broken wrist, several broken ribs, a concussion, and some contusions.”

“And Emma’s other injuries?” Snow didn’t think the internal bleeding was the worst of it and that scared the shit out of her. She didn’t want to lose her daughter and was scared it could happen.

The nurse sighed. “Sheriff Swan seems to have broken her hip, a head injury, bruising, and contusions. I’m not going to lie, Mister and Missus Nolan – The next twenty-four hours are going to be very critical.”

Snow let out a sob and clapped a hand over her mouth as James put his arm around her. “Thank you,” he told her.

She nodded and then left the two alone. “What if she doesn’t make it? What are we all supposed to do? I can’t lose her, not now.” 

“I can’t lose her either, but Whale is working on her. He’s great at his job. Now, do you want to go see August?” He wanted to make sure that his daughter’s boyfriend (his son-in-law, even though August and Emma weren’t married) was okay for himself.

She nodded and the two headed to August’s room. He was laying in the bed, clearly impatient and wanting to leave. “How’s Emma? No one will tell me because I’m hurt.”

“It’s bad. She’s in surgery now, and they said it’ll most likely take a while,” James informed him. He watched as August started to get more and more agitated and decided to calm him down. He clapped a hand on his shoulder – not too tightly – and let it stay there.

“I need to do something.”

“You don’t need to do anything, August. You’re hurt, too and need to take care of yourself. Why aren’t you on any pain medication?” Snow didn’t want him to be in pain when he didn’t have to be.

“I’m an addict. Can’t take the risk.” He desperately wanted some relief from the pain (morphine would be nice), but August wasn’t going to do that to himself. He’d rather live with the temporary pain than deal with his addiction again. It was just going to hurt a lot for the next few weeks.

Snow’s heart broke for him. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. But you need to stay in this bed and take care of yourself. Now!”

He was able to protest, but stopped dead at the look on her face. “Fine.” He reluctantly returned to a sitting position in his bed and got under the covers. Snow sat down in a rather uncomfortable chair to make sure he stayed that way.

A few hours later, Whale finally came out into the waiting room. James and Henry – who had finally made his way home from school – immediately stood up to greet him. Snow was still in August’s room with him and kept an eye on him as he slept. The accident had taken a toll on him and he needed his rest. 

“How’s my mom?” A near tears Henry was ready to lose it and he just wanted his mother to be okay.

Whale sighed. “It was touch and go – still is actually – but she made it through the surgery. We fixed the internal injuries and she’s now getting a transfusion to replace all the blood she lost. She flatlined on the table, but we were able to bring her back. The next forty-eight hours are going to be very critical. She’s in the recovery room right now and will be transferred up to the ICU soon.” He gave them an encouraging smile and then walked away.

The events of the day finally caught up to James and he started to get dizzy. With Henry’s help, he made his way to a chair and put his head in between his knees. “She’s going to be okay.” Well, Whale hadn’t exactly said that, but he had hope.

Henry rubbed his grandfather’s back and nodded. “Mom’s going to get over this, Grandpa. I know she will.” 

“I love your eternal optimism, Kid.” He meant it, too. Henry always seemed to look on the bright side of things, and he wasn’t sure how he got to be that way. 

“Thanks.” Henry pulled away when James slowly started to calm down. He let his grandfather have his privacy and regain his composure.

Emma didn’t wake up from her surgery until almost a day had passed. With some reluctant help from Henry and Snow, August had planted himself in her room and refused to leave. The nurses tried getting him to leave multiple times, but had eventually given in and put a small cot – bad for his injuries – in the room.

August was reading to her from a book when Emma began to stir. “Emma? You with me?”

“August?” Emma’s throat was dry and her mind was in a fog. She had a feeling she was drugged and didn’t really like it.

“Hey, you. You scared the fuck out of all of us, you know that? Don’t ever do that to me again.” He nearly started crying in relief when her eyes opened. She clearly wasn’t fully there with him as a result of the drugs, but at least she was awake.

“Sorry. You okay? Know you were hurt, too.” 

August couldn’t believe she was worrying about him when she was hurt, too. “I’m going to be okay. Whiplash has set in, which sucks, but I’m good.” All he wanted to do was go home – with Emma – and collapse into their bed so he could heal.

Her lips curled up into a smile. “Love you.”

“I love so fucking much, Emma. Don’t you ever leave me. I couldn’t handle it.”

“Same goes for me.” She closed her eyes and went to sleep. The next time she woke up, Emma was more aware and forced August to return to his own room so he wouldn’t aggravate his injuries.

Snow and James brought in the kids to visit, but they didn’t stay long so Emma could get some more sleep, which she felt was all she did now. It was hard to stay awake with all of her injuries and drugs, though, something which irritated her.

Both Emma and August had a long road to recovery ahead of them, but that was fine. Both of them were alive and had their family, and that’s what they needed to get through this.


End file.
